As microelectronic device sizes continue to shrink, capacitive elements within microelectronic structures will degrade overall device performance while increasing power consumption. For example, capacitive elements have the ability, and demand, to store electrical charges. Each structure within an electronic device that is operable to pass a current or conduct electricity has a certain level of capacitance. For example, each time a transistor is turned on, it must first charge all of its internal capacitance before it can begin to conduct electricity. This charge time can be relatively long depending on the overall complexity of the integrated electronic circuit and number of transistors.
Of particular interest within MOS devices is the junction capacitance that exists between junction regions of an MOS transistor. For example, impurities are added to silicon at select regions to produce a drain and a source for an MOS transistor. Adding impurities to the silicon provides a ‘doped ’ region and alters the electrical properties of the silicon. The junctions that exist between these doped regions result in a ‘junction capacitance ’ for electronic devices. As microelectronic devices continue to become more complex, an increase in the number of transistors used within circuits will result in an overall increase in junction capacitances. As such, there is a need for alternative processes and structures for reducing the overall capacitance of microelectronic circuits and devices.